Roller screen



Feb. 12, 1935. A. LANG ROLLER scnnnn Filed Oct. 15, 1935 11 T ToR NExPatented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES I The present invention relates toan'improved roller window screen and more particularly to a new andnovel construction for: a retractable roller screen and a controllingmeans for extending and holding the screen in any desired positionwithin the limits of its travel.

An'object of the invention is toprovidej a new and novel constructionfor a metallic windowscreen of the roll away type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form-ofdraw'bar construction-for a window screen of the above character.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of guideand holding means for a springretracted rolltype window screen.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in combination with aspring retracted window screen, a latching means therefor which may bereleased'by applying a downward or screen drawing pressure thereupon.

Another object or" the invention is to provide, with a roll screen ofthe type having guide means disposed along the path of its travel, anovel form of latching means which will cooperate with the guide meansto center and hold the end of the screen in the guide means.

In the prior art,. to which the invention relat-es, it is the practiceto provide a screen of the roll away type with independently operatedlatching means at each side thereof. Such a screen requires two hands toadjust it and cannot be conveniently operated when the upper limit ofits travel is above the normal reach of the operator or overapproximately five feet from the floor. cannot be raised to the fullextent of the window frame, .to which it is applied, unless the operatorstands upon. a stepladder, chair or the like. Therefore, it is a furtherobject of the present invention to provide a new and novel form ofscreen holding and drawing means that can be operated by a pull cord andwhich will facilitate a rolling up or extension of the screen,throughout the full length of a window frame, without resort to theuse-ofa stepladder or chair, as suggested above.

In carrying out this invention the screen is rnadeentirelyv of metallicparts of novel" construction which may be secured together in a simplemanner without the use'of rivets,- solder or welding. The screen isalsoprovided. with an improved guide means and. a detent. cooperatingtherewith which can .beoperated by a simple downward. pressure, as bymeans of a pull chain or cord, to release the same and thus and'mountedin-a'window framej This means that such a screen.

in ,a roller concealing housing 11'. Extending downwardlyfromjthe'housing l1 and along each opened from either the top .or thebottom, or :-from-both1 its.top and bottom. v

permit'a retraction or an extension 'of the screen without theapplication of any other manual force. a Fora better understanding ofthe present invention-reference should-be hadto the a'ccompanyingdrawing which; I:

[Figure 1 is aperspective View showing a screen constructed inaccordance with the invention 7 --Figure 2 is a fragmentary] perspectiveView showing the draw bar construction contemplated by the invention,

-Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective back view with parts brokenawayto show the draw bar assembly and a detentrod carried thereby, V

1 Figures -7,-8-and 9 show modifiedforms of a 5 draw bar assembly andscreen latching means constructed in accordance "with the invention.

-'A roll away screen of the type contemplated by this invention may bemounted either upon the insideor the outsideof the window frame. 2 0 InFigure l of the drawing the screen, designated hy the numeral 10,isshownas-mounted inside of the-window. This isthe preferred arrangementas the screen'will then be protected from I inclement weather when thewindow is closed. T

The screen "10 is shown as suspended within cheek of the window. framethere isajchannel .orguide, 12 into which projects the 'edge s. of the.rangement the screen 10, may be extended .to .1 the fulllength of. thewindow framexand. thus provide fulliprotection when the window is 50.Thefeatures of: the present-invention, .which are considered to beparticularly novel, appertain to thescreengui'de means, its .draw barconstruction, and a latching means which .will

..cooperate.- .with .aa spring retracted roller. screen 5 front to holdthe screen in any desired position with the screen under tension.

For. a more detail description of the various parts thereof, referenceis made to the remain-. ing figures of the drawing. From an inspectionof Figure 2 of the drawing it will be seen that the draw bar 13, securedto therlower end of h the screen 10, carries a Centrally located detentoperating means 14 to which there is attached a 'pull cord or chain 15.Asillustrated in Figures 3 andofthe vdrawing, the draw bar -13isconstructed of two'transversely extending members whichwill'bedesignated as a front memberl6;

" and a back member 17. These members 16 and V V vgthe end of thescreenagainst rattling.

' .of; the draw bar 13,,isprovided', as shown in, Figure 3 of thedrawing, with a simpleflange along its upperfedgeand a similar butlarger flange at its lower edge. These flanges stiffen 17 are formed ofsheet metal bent'so as'to interlock with each other and aresecuredinlcoop crating relation by means of end clips 18 which are'pressedthereupon so as to 'clamp the two members into close'engagementwith each other.

The clips 18 may be secured upon theends of the memberslfi and] 1 7 by.any suitable means.

; The preferred arrangement is to depress a portion ofone' of the sidesof these clips, as shown at 19,. into holes properly located inthe endsof-rthe members lfi and/or l'l, :Thisprovides a simple and easilyassembled draw-bar whichcan be made rupfwithout theuse of rivets,welding or the like. 7 When the clips18 are thus secured upon the endsof the draw bar vl3 they will act as a shoe or runner. that will slidefreely be-. tween 'coacting flanges carried by thescreen guides 12 and,in conjunction with the detent means, to be hereinafter described,,flrmly hold In its preferred; form 4 the front member 16,

thefront memberlfi and impart rigidityto the draw bar 13. The flange atthe lower edge of thegfront member 16 is formedvby bending the -sheetmetal outwardly and then back, and up in spaced relation with the rearside thereof and finally downwardly to form a, transversely vextendingrecess into which a strip of felt 20,

that will engage the window sill, may be .dis-

posed. The back member 1'7, of the draw bar 13, is attached to thescreen 10, by folding the lower edge. of the'jscreen'material about aflange provided along the upper edgeof theback member. and thenpressingthe screen and flange together into clamping engagementwith eachother.

The back member 1'? also has a groove or recess extending. lengthwisethereof just bei low; the flange ,by. which it is secured :to thescreen.' This groove, in conjunction with the 'front'member 16,'for'ms aseat or" bearing for V .adet ent operating rod121 that j extends com-'pletely across the' draw bar'13. when the back lr'ne'mber 1'7hasflbeen'attached to the screen 10 Land-the detent operating rod 21 isplaced into fthe' groove in the member: 17,"the lower edge center thedetent operatingrod. 21. has two.ofl:-

.-.set portions 23' to which theoperatingmeans. 14

is attached. When the front member 16'and the back member 17 of the drawbar 13 are assembled together, as suggested above,- with the detentoperating. rod 21 therebetween, the offset portions 23. of the detentrod 21 will extendthrough a hole in themember l6 and project f out atthe front of the drawbar 13. The de- This arrangement presents a'neatappearance tent operating'means 14 can then be secured to the detent.rod 21 at the front of the'screen.

asit places the. detents 22yand the operating rod V 21 in back of thedraw bar 13 and leaves only the detent operating means 14 in view at thefront of'the draw "bar, where it can be .con-' venie'nt'ly operated by asimple downward screen drawing pressure of, the hand or by a pull cord.

The detent operating means 14 may be formedv toi-any suitable shapewhichwill facilitate. its

attachment to the rod 21, or it may be omitted entirely. In, this latter.event the detent rod- 21 .needhave only one offset portion 23which-will extendout sufliciently far in front of' the draw bar, 13 tobe engaged by the 'operators thumb and/or'carry the pull cord or chain15.

as illustrated inFigures 4 and of the drawthe detentoperating means 14is formed of a single'piece of stamped sheet metal having a recess 24into which the'ofiset portions 23'rmay I project, It also, has a thumbor finger rest 25 upon which pressure may be exerted in operating the.detents 22. The recess'24 has a width just sufficient, to receive theoffset portions 23 upon the detent operating rod21 recess 2 4,as at 26,so as to interlock portions thereof with the offset portions 23. At thelower side of the recess .24 'the means .14 has a pair of opposed ears2'7 between which a springbarrel 28 and 'a coiled spring 29 aredisposed. One end or the spring 29 engages the detent operating means 14and at its other end it is adapted i to engage the front surface of thedraw bar 13 so as to provide an upward v bias upon the detent operatingmeans 14 and consequentlyia.

downward bias upon the detents 22.

r In order to render the above described construction most effective itis desirable that the channels or guides12'be so shaped. thatthey willcooperate to a maximum degree with the draw bar 13 and the detents, 22.1A preferred form of guideyforja screen equipped as above, is illustratedin Figures2, 3 and-6 of the drawing. the guides 12 is formed by bendinga piece of rectangular cross section. As here shown, the

guides 12 have narrow openings extending lengthwise thereof andvinturned i or reentrant flanges 30 formed along one side of the narrowopenings; The inturned or 'reentrant flanges 30 are adapted toprovidesurfaces over whichthe In these figures of the drawing each ofWhen the .means14 is in position upon the detent operating rod 21, asshown, it may be secured thereto v by prick punching or upsetting thesides of the g Qsheet metal into a semitubular shape and of clips 18 mayfreely slidewhen the detents 22 are :released and. against which they.will be f firmly held when the detents 22 are biased into their screenholding position.f;Upon*the back of each of the flanges 30 there isaplurality of yertically spaced protuberances 31 -that are adapted. tobe engaged bythe hooked ends of the dete'nts 22 and hold the screen inits ex tended position against the action of the screen 'recoilingspring carried by the roller, withinjthe housing 11, from which thescreen 10 is suspended v. e v f r yAs shown, the-detents 22 areformed bybending back the-endsof the detent. operating bar -21-so-as toeprovideoppositelyprojecting hooks upon each-end thereof. When therdetents 225-areformed-in this manner, and used inguides 12 f the characterdescribed above, they will, in addition to acting as a latching meansfor thescreen 10, also interlock with the flanges 30 of the guides 12 tothus centerthe draw bar 13 .10 ,and the screen'10 between the guides andprevent the draw bar from being accidentally or deliberately removedfrom the'guides 12 when the screen 10 is being extended or retracted.

- While I have described the invention in its #15 preferred form, it isto be understood that the essential. features and advantages thereofmay..be attained in other ways as, for instance, by -constructing theguides, draw bar and detents .in accordancewiththe showings made in Fig-120 ures 1,8 and-9 of the drawing which will now the described. V

In.Figure 7 there is shown-a channel guide 32 .ofrectangularcrosssection having a simple inturned flange 33 in which there. is formed aplurality of vertically spaced depressions 34. The ,draw bar, designatedby thenumeral 35, is constructed .of two transversely extending pieces.of sheet metal secured together by clips ..36;.whichare pressed :overthe. ends thereof, as is 430 the case in-the draw bar 13. In thisconstruc- -.tion'there isa detent bar 37 which, instead of having hookshaped detents, has its ends sim- .ply turned up to form detents 38 thatwill en- -gage the depressions34 in the flange 33 of the 35.0118111181guide..32. The detents 38 are here shown as biased into the depressions34 by a -.-small.spring39 that engages a loop 40, formed .,,centrally.upon the detent bar 37, which extends out through the draw bar 35, whereit can be operated bya downward pressure or by a pull cord. 1 i

,,In -Figure 8 of the drawing there is illustrateda draw bar 41 and achannel guide 42 formed substantially similar to the draw bar andguidechannel shown in Figure '7. In this embodiment a detent operating rod 43is formed in a manner similar to the detent operating rod ;21 describedabove and illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing. The detent operatingrod 43,

. instead O having detentsthat will engage protuberancesupon the back oftheguide channel flange,- has inturned or hooked ends 44 that op- ;erateupon a resilient detentmember 45 which engages recesses formed in aflange 46 on the channel guide 42. In this construction, like thosepreviously described, the detents can be operated-by a simpledownwardpressureapplied atthe center of the draw bar 41.

'InFigure 9 of the drawing there is shown a 460 iurthenmodification ofthe present invention, --wherein the screen can also be operatedbyasimple downward pressure applied centrally upon the screen draw bar orby a pull cord. As here illustrated the screen guide, designated by thenumeral 47, is of a difierent shape, in that -ithas;a trackway 48 formedupon one. flange v and with -protuberances 49 formed upon an op-;positegflange. In thisarrangement a draw bar 5O is,formejd1fromonepiece vof metal and has 7.0 projecting feet orrunners 51 at the endsthereof which engage, the trackway .48. The. upper edge ofgthev drawbar; 50 is secured to the screen by. pressing oppositely disposed partsthereof over;a rod 52 about which the screen material is1 -w rapped.JqAnothendifierence. is thata detent operating rod 54 having detents 53is, mounted upon the front side ofthe draw bar 50 instead ofat-theback,- as is the case in-the other-structures. The detents '53.are biased into engagement with the-protuberances 49 by asmall leaf 5spring'5'5'at each detent. These springs'55c an be-overcome by adownward pressure exerted upon a centrally located forwardly projectingportion 56 of the detent rod 54 and as aresult ascreen constructed inthis manner can also be FIO operated; by a downward screen drawing move-.ment applied-by the hand or through a pull .cord.

@Theoperation of a screen constructed in accQrdanceWiththissinvention'should be obvious 515 from the above 7 description.However,- there .;are a number of..features, the functions and -op- Verations of which should be explained further. When the screen 10 isequipped with a draw bar 13, of the type illustrated in Figures 1 to 6of the drawing, the screen can be drawn by simply applying a downwardpressure upon the thumb rest of the detent operating means 14. In thisoperation the pressure thus exerted upon the means 14 will rotate thedetent operatingtgs .rod 21.and move the detents 22 out of engagementwith the protuberances 31 upon the guides 12 and permit the shoes orrunners, formed by and into engagement with the protuberances'31.

It should here be pointed outthat the disposi- Z tionrof the detents 22upon the detent operating 'rod 21 is such that the coiled spring 29willbe assisted in its action by the screenretracting spring to which thescreen 10 is secured. Under these conditions the screen retractingspring will exert an upward pull upon the detents'22 and,as a result ofthe horizontal component of .Wind or vibration.

The above clamping action will also be found in the embodiments oftheinvention illustrated :5

in Figures '7 and .8 of the drawing. In these structures the clampingaction will be accom- :plished vbythe screen retracting spring, but in adifferent manner. When the detents 38 and of Figures 7 and 8 are inengagement with their respective recesses, in the guides 32 and -42,thescreen tension exerted'by the screen -re- 7 tracting spring willcause the clips 18, at the ends of the draw bars 35and 41,.to moveagainst the'front flanges of the guides 32 and 42 and thus, with thedetents 38' and 45, wedge the draw bars 35 and 41 into non-rattlingengage- .ment with their respective guides.

In the embodiment of this invention illustrated in Figure 9 of thedrawing the draw-bars is provided with projecting feet 51 which aredisposed in a reasonably snug groove 48 formed 'inresilient materialthat will provide a suf- -ficient tightness .to prevent a rattling ofthe screen, without interferingewith its free move- 'ment.

An important aspect of this invention is that it provides a screen whichcan be operated with .one hand and/or by apull cord. When a pull.

.cordis attachedlto the detent operating means 76 the screen can beeasily operated to any. height I in a simple and convenient 'manner., 7i

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order :to disclose myinvention so that the same can be readily understood, described andillustrated specific 1 devices and (arrangements,

I desire tohave itunderstoodthat thisinvention not limited to thespecific means disclosed, but may be embodied inother ways that willsuggestthemselves, inviewoi this broad disclosure, to persons skilled inthe art. It is believed that this invention is broadly new and a it isdesired to claim it as such so. that allsuch -changes as come within thescope of ;thejappended claims are tobe considered as part. of thisinvention.- a

Having thus described my invention,rwhat I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is-- 1 Inan imprcvedroll screen,.the combinationjof apair,of spaced parallel guides, a spring retracta'ble roll screen disposedbetween. said guides,- a draw bar at the'end of said screen for drawingit along between saidguides, a rod extending along and rotatably mountedupon said draw bar havingits ends bent to form detents .which' willcooperate with said guides and hold said roll screen in an extendedposition, and

' means operable by a downward screen drawing movement forrotating-saidrod and releasing fsaidzdetentmeans;

a 2. In a screen of the'character described, the combination of a pairof spaced parallel guides,

,a spring retractable roll screen disposed be- I tweensaid guides, adraw bar at the end of said .screen for drawing it along saidiguides, arotat- 7 ably mounted rod extending throughout the length of said drawbar, means at each'end of said rod cooperable with said guides forming adetent for, holding said roll screen in' an extended position in saidguides, and means at the center of said rod operable by a downwardscreen drawing movement for rotating said rod and releasing said detentmeans; 3, In an improved roll screen, thecombination of a springretractable roll screen, guide channels into which the edgesof .thescreen are disposed having a, reentrant flange upon one 'side thereof, adraw bar. secured .across'theend' of said screen and extending into saidguide channels, a rotatable longitudinally extending rod carried bycsaiddraw barhaving its Qends bent around-andcooperating with the adjacentreentranti flange upon said guide channels for centering the screenbetween said guideichan- ;nels, and means for biasing said rod in aposition whereby its ends will engage said reentrant huge and hold thescreen in an extended posi- ,1, 7' I 1. 4. In animproved roll screen,the combination-pf' aqspring retractable roll screenfguide channelsdisposed along the sides of said screen having a reentrant flange uponone side thereof,

a draw bar secured across the end of said screen extending intosaid'guide channels andengaging one side of the respective reentrantflange, a

rotatable ,rodcarried' by said drawi bar having endsbent around engagingthe: other side of the respective reentrant flange-uponisaid guidechannels for'centering the screen between's'a'id guide channels,zindmeans for biasing the ends of said rod'into clamping engagement withthe respective reentrantfian'ge; 1-

5. 'I'hemcombination of a spring retractable screen, a guide at eachsideof said screen, a

draw bar'secured across the 'endoiisaid screen detent operatin andextending into said guides, a rotatable de-, tent; operating rod;carried bysaid draw bar, a I

detent at each end of said rod cooperating with the respective guide'for holdingsaid screen in an extended position, means intermediatethe;5

ends of said rod and located at the front of said. draw bar forming alever upon said detent screen, a draw bar secured; across the end of'said screen and extending into said guide chan- 115 nels, a detentcarrying bar securedfagainstand :extending along the back of ,saiddrawabar a detent upon each end of'said detent carrying bar cooperatingwith said guide channels for holding said screen in an extendedposition; and

7 means projecting through said draw bar-Etc the a front thereof havinga pull cord attached thereto I for operating said detents and raising.and

lowering said screen, 7. A- guide for a' spring screen, said screencarrying a detent adjacent thee'nd thereof, said guide comprising asingle sheet of metal bent to a substantially rectangular form andhavingitsmeeting edges flanged inwardly and disposed inspaced relationwith each other to'form' acguide'for the edgeof the screen, one of theflanges being disposed sub-. stantially centrally ofr the rectangularform, and

, detent retaining. means upon said 'latter flange which will cooperatewith said detent to hold the screen in an extended position. a

,8. A guide for a spring retractediametallic screen, said screencarrying a detent adjacent the end thereof, said guide vcomprising'asingle sheet of metal bentto d-substantially rectangu- 40 lar form andhaving its meeting e'dges'flanged V inwardly and disposed in spacedrelation ,with each other to form'aguide for the edge of-a screen, oneof the flanges being disposed substantially centrally of the rectangularform and S 5 having protuberances formed thereupon by' 'upsetting theflange which will cooperate with said detent to hold the "screen; in'anextended position.

9. In a draw bar fora roll screen or the like, the combination of atransversely extending' channel like member having its'lower edge bentup in spaced relation with the back-surface thereof, a second memberhaving its upper edge crimpted to the end of a screen material and itslower edge disposedin the space betweenthe back of saidchannel likemember and the bent up edge thereof, and guide'ch'annel engagingclipssecured in clamping engagement over the ends of-saidfchannel likemember and said seccnd "member for securing and holding said memberstogether.

v In a screen devi 3' the combination era pair of spaced parallel guidesbetweenwhich the screen may move, a transversely extending channellikemember adapted to extend into said guides, a' second member havingitsupper edge.

crimped to theend of a screen material disposed against the back of saidchannel like member,

and [a guide engaging clip'secur'ed in clamping 10' engagement overthe'ends of said members forming the sole meansfor holding them together."

' 11.. A draw bar and detent constructioncfor a. roll screen of theretractable roller type operating between spaced guides, comprisingatrans- 17 retracted metallic 25 I versely extending member having alength substantially equal to the width of the screen, a secondtransversely extending member disposed in back of said first member, adetent operating rod disposed between and projecting at the ends of saidmembers having its ends turned up to form detents which are engageableand cooperable with the spaced guides at the edges of the screen, and ametallic clip pressed over the ends of said first and second members forsecuring them together over the detent operating rod and forming arunner at each end of the draw bar which will slide freely in the spacedguides when the detents are disengaged and cooperate with the detents toclamp the draw bar to the guides when the detents engage the guides.

12. In a roll screen of the spring retractable type, the combination ofspaced screen guides between which the screen is adapted to slide, eachof said guides having a flange extending parallel with the plane of thescreen, a draw .bar at the end 01 the screen having a runner at each endthereof adapted to engage one side of the flange carried by theassociated guide, detent means carried by said draw bar bent around therespective flanges and adapted to engage the other side of saidrespective flanges, and spring means acting upon said detent means tobias them into engagement with said flanges, whereby the runners at theends of said draw bar will be clamped against the flanges upon whichthey slide. r

ALBERT LANG.

